Synergy
by Yumiko Kaze
Summary: Cheetara asks some questions that make Tygra think about the relationship between magic and technology. Sometimes things aren't as different as we like to believe.


Post Legacy and Saving Face, concurrent with Unity and Duelist and the Drifter. This is my explanation of how Tygra ended up helping with the Thundertank when Panthro rebuffed Lion-O's attempts to help in Old Friends. And I finally get to play with my ship a little more openly. *squee*

Synergy

Chapter One: Blue

Yumiko Kaze

Tygra yawned and blinked at the brightness, bringing a paw up to shield his eyes. When had he dozed off? He'd only sat down for a second… but the sun had almost reached its zenith, so he must've been out for some time. Lion-O had left to gather supplies _hours_ ago and from the looks of it he still wasn't back. Tygra glanced around for the others, why had they let him sleep? Sure he'd had watch last night, but that didn't excuse him from pulling his weight just like everybody else.

He stretched and made a face at the protesting sounds his joints made. Maybe they could convince Panthro to put some cozy beds in the Thundertank? Sleeping on the ground all the time made his body sound—and feel— like it was over forty. No matter _what_ position he slept in. Growling to himself, he scrubbed at his face with his hands, trying to wake himself back up.

He spotted Cheetara sitting with her back to him, facing the forest on the other side of camp, and rose to see what she was up to. She was so engrossed in whatever she was doing that she didn't hear him coming. She didn't even notice him peering over her shoulder to see what had captured her attention so completely. Now Tygra could see she was flipping through the blank pages of the Book of Omens. Lion-O had told them all yesterday about his trip into the Book and his conversation with Jaga before an abrupt trip to the past. Tygra wondered if perhaps she felt just a little slighted that Jaga had appeared to _Lion-O_ and not her.

"Any luck?" Tygra asked. He idly ran his claws through his hair, trying to get it to lie flat.

Cheetara jumped a bit. Seeing it was Tygra, she swung herself around to face him, shook her head, and closed the book quickly. Tygra couldn't tell if she was embarrassed to be caught trying to read the book or if she'd simply decided she'd had enough. Either way, she looked annoyed enough to claw someone's eyes out—even though she was obviously trying to hide it. He knew how she felt. The Book hadn't allowed _him_ to see any of the things it had showed Lion-O either.

She was silent for so long that Tygra started to wonder if he'd done something to make her angry. "I don't understand how it can be _both_," Cheetara groused finally.

Caught off guard, Tygra asked, "Both what?"

A pale eyebrow twitched before Cheetara, her tone exasperated, responded, "Technology _and_ magic. Everything I know implies the two are completely at odds with one another." Her coral eyes seemed to drill into the book, like if she just stared long enough she could make it tell her what she wanted to know.

Tygra just watched her silently for a moment. He didn't have any answers. He didn't even know where to begin. His use of illusions was similar to the type of magic the Clerics used, but it wasn't the same thing. He had learned about the theory behind the use of real magic, but didn't have the ability to use it the way Cheetara did.

The silence stretched on and Tygra found himself staring at the leather cover of the Book of Omens in frustration right along with Cheetara. It was rare that Tygra didn't have an answer. He'd been a shy child who spent most of his free time in the library and he'd always loved lording it over Lion-O when he knew something his younger brother didn't. Technology was the one thing he had never taken the time to study, dismissing it as a childish fairy tale. Now, even with the reality of technology's existence staring him in the face, knowledge of how it worked it continued to elude him.

He eyed the pistol he had taken from the lizards. He had admitted long ago that technology had its uses, but unlike Lion-O he had no experience with it. And even Lion-O and Panthro's expertise was limited. He frowned at the pistol. What happened if it broke? Though Lion-O had been tinkering with technological junk for years, Tygra doubted he would be able to fix it. What good was relying on something that could break at any time? The Thundertank was a prime example of that. Something was always wrong with that hunk of junk.

Cheetara was speaking again, rambling, really. It was endearing to see the usually composed cheetah so frazzled—her Cleric training had done much to curb her impatience, but in rare moments like this Tygra could see it was still there. "Obviously our ancestors used technology _and_ magic if the book is both." She ran a hand over her face. "What _happened_ that our ancestors thought it _necessary_ to hide the Book of Omens away and pretend technology never existed?" She snarled in frustration and crossed her arms. "It's left us completely unprepared and now the lizards and Mumm-Ra have it and are using it and right now they're _winning_."

Tygra rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Since we left Thundera I've come to realize that the world is much bigger than I thought it was. And one thing I've learned is that it's always changing." He sat down next to Cheetara, resting his wrists on his knees and letting his head hang slightly with a sigh. "All any of us ever _knew_ was Thundera. Now it's gone and we've got to change too. Adapt to this new world. I don't know why our ancestors decided to hide from technology. Maybe at one time it _was_ necessary. I never thought any of this was real, but… I've accepted it." He glanced sideways at Cheetara and saw that she'd been watching him.

"More than accepted it." Cheetara smiled a little sadly. "It's strange. I thought Lion-O would be the one to take to technology the fastest."

Tygra humphed at the mention of his brother. "And how is that?" He couldn't help asking, even though he knew the answer. Lion-O's obsession had been no secret among Thunderians.

She laughed. "I met Lion-O when he was buying tech items from a Wollo in the back alleys. _He_ was the one who believed it even existed in the first place." The light in her eyes dimmed a bit and her voice softened. "And yet, he is the one clinging to the ways of Thundera."

Tygra grunted in response. He had known Lion-O did some stupid things for pieces of tech, but what had Cheetara been doing there?

Her face became thoughtful as she continued, "But you… you discarded your royal blues and use that gun as often as you use your bolo whip."

Tygra was a bit taken aback. She had noticed? He still had his blues in his pack. Sentimentality hadn't allowed him to get rid of them. Lion-O hadn't exactly been happy when he'd seen Tygra in the stolen armor. Tygra bristled at the memory. He'd been through this once before, he didn't need it from Cheetara too. "As long as it gets the job done, it shouldn't matter what I wear," he snapped, regretting it instantly.

To his relief, Cheetara merely shrugged, completely nonplussed by his attitude. "I just meant that you've adapted to our new environment quite well. It's admirable." She tilted her head a bit. "But I think I like you better in blue."

Tygra stilled, his heart giving an odd thump and his cheeks heating beneath his fur. On the outside he was able to keep his cool, years of practice keeping him from turning into the stammering clumsy dolt he'd been as a child. On the inside, embarrassment at his outburst and his longtime attraction to Cheetara joined to produce one of the most uncomfortable moments of his life. Finally he coughed, covering it with a fist, and stood. "I'll keep that in mind. I think I'll go make sure the kittens haven't gotten themselves into too much trouble."

"Oh. Okay." With a small smile, Cheetara went back to her staring contest with the Book of Omens as Tygra high-tailed it as far away from her as he could get. The last thing he wanted was to make a fool of himself in front of Cheetara the way he had as a cub.

After a brief perusal of the camp, the kittens were nowhere to be found. He paused when he reached the now familiar shadow of the Thundertank. When was Panthro going to be done fixing that thing anyway? Tygra had thought their problems were over with when they'd gotten the Thundrillium, but Panthro never seemed to be done fixing this or that. Whatever was wrong with it, it sure required a lot of tinkering and Tygra was starting to wonder if they'd _ever_ leave this particular camp site.

Their lack of movement worried him. Staying in one place for an extended amount of time was dangerous when you didn't want to be found. How long did they have before the lizards and Mumm-Ra came for them en masse?

On the other hand, where would they go? They had no real destination. Lion-O had said they needed to find the stones, unite the other animals, _and_ build an army to battle Mumm-Ra with. Simple tasks, all of them. Tygra snorted. How were the six of them (and Snarf) supposed to unite all of the other races of Third Earth? Where did one _start_ with something like that? Especially since the other races were more inclined to hate the cats than anything else?

For all they knew, they were the last cats left in the whole world. That made for pretty slim chances of accomplishing anything. Tygra was all for getting revenge on Mumm-Ra and the lizards but, with where they stood currently, things just didn't look good. Mumm-Ra had destroyed his home and killed almost everyone he knew. He had murdered Tygra and Lion-O's father outright and, for that alone, Mumm-Ra would pay. But now, despite the fact they had the Book of Omens and a goal, they still had _no idea_ where to start.

"Hey kid."

Tygra started, realizing that Panthro had noticed his proximity to the tank and was giving him the death stare. Refusing to let the old panther cow him into submission, Tygra crossed his arms and tilted his head back to meet Panthro's gaze. "What?"

Panthro eyed him for a moment, sizing him up. "You any good with a wrench?"

Tygra cocked his head. "Is that anything like a samophlange?" He was totally serious.

A half smile quirked at the edges of Panthro's lips and he jerked his thumb towards the engine he'd been tinkering with all morning. "Here, kid. Gimme a hand."

For a moment, Tygra wasn't sure what had just happened. He looked around, forgetting for the time being that Lion-O was long gone by now. "But Lion-O…"

"Lion-O's got other things to worry about right now." Panthro's voice seemed gruff, heavy with some sort of emotion Tygra couldn't quite place. "I asked you." His remaining eye hardened when Tygra didn't move and he snapped, "Now get your tail up here before I change my mind."

"Uhm. Sure." Tygra set his jaw determinedly. Perhaps _this_ was his chance to finally see what had fascinated Lion-O for so many years and figure out how it worked. Tygra knew that they're survival hinged mainly on how well they could adapt to their new surroundings and this was as good a chance as any.

* * *

><p>AN: Again beta-read and edited the first go-round by Arcane Legacy. I didn't want to bother her for a second run through since she's busy with her own stuff. Because of this, I ask you to please let me know if you see anything that needs fixing. I'm horrible at catching my own typo's. Even stuff I hate seeing other people do such as their, there, and they're. And commas. I abuse the shit out of them and forget them when I need them. Also, please let me know what you guys want to see more of. This is part of a series of fic so I can grow and expand on things in my other works. Again, please review! It'll help me get chapter two out! And maybe chapter three? Dunno if this is gonna be two or three chapters, it depends on how things end up flowing.<p> 


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